Skyfall
by Kira of Darkness
Summary: (RWBYxTitanfall Crossover) Desperate for answers, Ruby joins with the Militia when she has no other options. Now, even with her answers found, she wishes to take revenge on the IMC for taking what she loved. RubyxOCxWeiss Love Triangle, Bumblebee (Rated M for the future)
1. Chapter 1

**Kira: So, as you may have read from the summary, this is a crossover story between the animated series RWBY and the Microsoft exclusive game Titanfall. If you don't know what it is, you may want to look it up, as you may possibly not understand a lot of the story as a result. I want to thank Hollow14 for coming up with this title and for helping me with some of my previous works. Anyways, hope you enjoy. :D**

_Dear Father,_

_By the time you read this, I am gone. I know I have left against your wishes, and I know you will be angry with me, but I must find out the truth. And if you won't tell me, then I will find out myself. That answer may be harsh, but I needed to let this frustration that's been building since Yang left five years ago... Again, I am sorry it has come to this, but what's done is done... And if that didn't stop Yang, than it won't stop me... Goodbye, possibly forever..._

_- Ruby_

Ruby sighed slightly as she stared into the deep, empty space, save for a few passing civilian ships. The silence was prominent, but not unwelcome, as Ruby's thoughts were still on when she had finally left her father. Her mindset was broken when she felt someone tap her shoulder.

She turned around and saw one of the people she had met during training. The girl's name was Karla, Ruby remembered. She was one of the only people the silver eyed girl had conversed with during training, while the others stayed away from her. Ruby could only presume it was either because of her age, or her unimaginable skill at firing a B3 Wingman at such an extreme range with fantastic results.

Ruby glanced back at Karla and could see the girl was fidgeting with her fingers, and decided to mitigate her nervousness;

"Are you worried about the mission, or the fact that I may ignore you?" Ruby asked playfully with a small smile, scaring her friend with the sudden voice.

"W-what? N-no, that's not what I was thinking." Karla spoke with a shaken tone, before laughing slightly and scratching the back of her head.

Ruby couldn't help but hold her smile, "Then what were you thinking?" Karla didn't answer for a moment, her face stuck.

She shook her head and answered a moment later, "It was your first response, it's about the mission." Her tone was more solidified now, but it still held the nervousness.

"Why are you worried about it?" The black haired, silver eyed girl asked, her attention now completely with her companion.

"W-well, it's not only our first mission, but we're going in with no idea on what's down there, let alone without a Pilot's assistance." Karla explained, looking down at the R-101C assault rifle that was in her lap. Ruby glanced down at it and shook her head slightly, sighing soon after.

"You know we can't rely on a Pilot, Karla, no matter how good their skill is." Ruby said with a reassuring tone, putting her hand on the worried girl's shoulder.

"That easy for you to say Ruby. Based on what I've seen when all of us were training, you've got enough firearms skill to take on an entire IMC army." Karla said with humor and resentment. Ruby, knowing that the animosity Karla had in her tone was a joke, chuckled slightly before jabbing her friend in the arm. Karla chuckled along with Ruby, before going into a solemn silence following the joyous moment.

After noticing her friend not speak up, Ruby frowned before gripping the girl's shoulder again, "Karla, I want you to promise me this." She spoke seriously. The girl in question glanced back at Ruby and stared into her silver eyes, waiting.

"I want you to stay as confident as you can during this mission, and, after we get through this, I'll help you out with your marksmanship skills, then we'll go out for something to eat. Promise?" The silver eyed girl spoke with a large smile. Karla's eyes widened and followed with Ruby on the smile before pushing forward to grasp Ruby in a hug.

"I promise." Karla replied lightheartedly in Ruby's ear. The latter sat shocked as her friend latched her arms around her neck and answered with that sweet tone. She smiled a moment later before returning the hug jovially. The two sat in a peaceful silence before the pilot of the ship spoke up, forcing them to break the hug.

"Entering atmosphere in 30. Get ready for entrance." He spoke with authority before returning his attention back to the incoming planet. Another member of the ship stood up and faced the other seven faces in-front of him; all who were now focusing on said standee. With his grip on the assault rifle that was pointing downward at the floor, the man spoke up.

"Alright everyone. As you know, I am your commanding officer for this operation. You will answer to me as Captain Anderson for the duration of this mission. As soon as we enter atmosphere I want everyone to have their weapon ready with ammo and your heads up display operational. After we land I will give further instructions." Captain Anderson spoke with a monotone voice, signifying that there would be no questions. Karla, after the small lecture, turned to face Ruby. She smiled slightly before standing to move back where she was. Ruby followed suit, and ended up standing behind a male blond.

"Entering atmosphere." The pilot repeated. Everyone looked out their nearby windows and saw nothing but white, which most assumed was a cloud. A few seconds later, a vast view of wide cities, large wilderness, and a great ocean filled everyone's view, leaving most in awe.

Captain Anderson spoke up again, "Angel City." He started as the front window gave a show of a massive coastal city that was engulfed in both smoke and walls of a grand scale that were set up in a maze like state.

One of the male brunettes spoke up, "What's with the barriers set up here?"

"The barriers were set up by the IMC once the Militia finally rose up in a massive scale against them. When the IMC instituted martial law in Angel City, massive walls were built and a system of security checkpoints was created to divide the city into many smaller districts. The unfortunate residents of the Harbor District, now unable to move freely throughout the city, were only able to view the glittering skyline from afar." Captain Anderson answered with a sad tone, shaking his head.

The man turned to face the seven other soldiers he was with, "This is also where the last transmission of that Pilot was." Ruby bit her lip and gripped the handle of her R-101C when her commanding officer mentioned the goal of their mission.

The pilot spoke up one more time, "C.I.S. coming up on the MARVIN now." He spoke up. Everyone turned around to the exit hatch where a robot with yellow smiley face on its chest was. The smiley face disappeared and in its place was a tanned male with a headset over his head.

"Hello everyone." He greeted with a small smile before turning serious, "As the pilot of your ship probably said, I am the Militia's Combat Intel Specialist. The name's Bish. I am here to give an overview on your mission before letting you on your way." He spoke again. Silence reigned on the ship for a moment, the group of soldiers at hand giving their full attention to Bish.

Said man nodded, "Alright. About three months ago, we lost contact with a Pilot we sent on a covert mission to Angel City to collect some vital data on the IMC. Your mission is two-fold, both equally as important. One is to find the location of the last transmission of that Pilot and collect it, whether the Pilot is there or not. The second part it to find that intel the Pilot was looking for and collect it as well. Both of these locations will be marked on your HUD. Once you have both of those completed, contact me and I'll warp an evac ship to your location. All I have left to say is keep an eye on your HUD and stay aware. Good luck." Bish ended off with a salute before disappearing off the face of the MARVIN.

Captain Anderson spoke up once again, "Alright everyone, listen up. I was planning on waiting to tell you this but, with the new information provided; there will be a slight change of plans. We will split up into two teams for the duration of this mission; one will search for the Pilot's last transmission, and the other will find the intelligence on the IMC. Corporal Ashton, you-" He was cut off by the pilot.

"Cut the chatter, we're landing."

Anderson mumbled before speaking up again, "Ashton, you and the three behind you will search for the Pilot's transmission. You other three, you're with me on finding that IMC intelligence." Anderson finished with a nod. The other seven soldiers gave a nod of their own in agreement, and all was left in silence.

"One final thing; keep an eye on your HUD for your friendlies and objectives. Contact everyone if you notice one of those blue arrows start flickering." Captain Anderson commanded one last time before the ship landed. Ruby and the three people behind her exited the craft once the hatch opened. The exit hatch closed and flew to another walled off sector of Angel City where the other four soldiers would search for the intel.

Ruby glanced behind and saw that Karla wasn't in her group, causing her to frown slightly. She was worried for her friend since her confidence wasn't all that high, even after promising Ruby that she would stay strong. The people Ruby was with didn't know her in the slightest either, for the exception of the corporal due to his status. Speaking of him, Ashton spoke up once he saw nothing in sight besides the grand scale buildings.

"Alright everyone, stay sharp. We have no idea what may be out there so I want everyone with their sights up and their eyes wandering." He commanded, inserting the 24 round box magazine into his R-101C. Ruby glanced down at her own weapon and remembered what their superior officer during training had told them.

"_The R-101C fully automatic assault rifle is a compact weapon that can be folded down into the size of a medium briefcase, allowing for easy maneuvering during downtimes, and quick access during firefights. Its 24 round magazine is easy to insert and eject with the quick push of a button. Due to this carbine's smaller than average magazine, keep a close eye on your ammo counter just above the adjustable stock so you're not caught dry during a skirmish."_

Ruby pulled her weapon up to eye level and was very quickly looking through an orange optical sight.

"_The holo sight is a somewhat standard replacement for the normal railing iron sights fixated on the assault rifle platform. With a clear sight picture and x1.85 magnification, the holo sight is a good alternative for any that need good aim out in the frontier."_

"Our objective should be visible on your mini map people. Keep in mind, that marker only marks the general area of the last known location of that transmission, so be ready to start searching once we reach the destination." Corporal

Ruby glanced at the enclosed map in the top left of her HUD and saw a blue ping originating from a small, similarly colored dot that was pressed against the top edge of her mini map. Ashton, after seeing everyone with their weapons ready, moved forward with a hand motion signifying for the other three to follow. As they all moved in a diamond formation towards their destination, everyone's eyes were captivated by the sheer destruction of the city before them. Windows were smashed, billboards were frizzing out still, and even entire chunks of the buildings themselves were torn out, no doubt from a Titan battle.

Ruby stared at the torn up buildings, in both disbelief and awe that something this terrible could happen. She had heard about the skirmishes and battles through her T.V. back at home, but never expected them to be so... Terrifying, as she was witnessing the end result now. A few minutes past, the abandoned city completely devoid of much more than life, before they had reached their destination.

"Alright. I want everyone to split up and search for the signal. Keep within 10 meters of a friendly though, and, once again, keep your sights up and your eyes wandering." Corporal Ashton said before the four soldiers split up. While their search was mainly kept within the sun's basking light and heat, Ruby took her search inside one of the destroyed buildings, using a missing part of the wall as an entrance.

As she started searching, a voice spoke up in her ear; "Ruby?" Ruby's stood shocked as she heard a female's voice ring through her ears. The silver eyed girl looked around her for any point of origin, but frowned when she didn't see anything besides the gray scale walls. Thinking her mind was playing tricks on her, Ruby continued on, only for the voice to pop up again.

"Ruby, can you hear me?" With Ruby relaxed until that point again, she was able to tell who was speaking.

"Karla?" The girl asked, confused on why she was hearing her friend's voice.

"Thank god it worked. You there?" Karla asked, relived but also worried.

Ruby couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's worry, "I still here Karla, don't worry. How are you able to contact me though?" Ruby asked as she folded the R-101C and attached it to the magnetic strip on her back. With the weapon put away and her hands free, Ruby was able to move some debris that acted as a very annoying obstacle.

"The helmets have a two way communication system, remember?" The silver eyed girl rolled her eyes at the playful tone Karla used for her reply.

"Alright, alright, no need to act smart with me." Ruby joked back. A soft giggle ran through her ears, causing her to smile at the sweet tone.

"Anyway, how's your search going?" Ruby asked after she cleared her head.

She got a sigh in response, "Not too good. With the amount of information here it would take hours to just get through the mechanics of a Spectre." Karla grumbled.

Ruby chuckled and shook her head, "My search isn't that hot either. Right now all I've found was concrete and steel supports." Ruby sighed as she practiced what she preached; attempting to move some more chunks of concrete with some steel rebar embedded within the piece of wall. As she glanced up at her mini map, Ruby noticed that the blue dot was sending the small wave more sporadically.

"Hold on Karla, I think I've found something." Ruby mumbled. Karla hummed a response that the silver eyed girl could barely hear as she started walking closer to the dot, once again the dot itself increasing the speed of its pulses. She came upon a door that was still standing and attached to a nearly undamaged wall, save for a few indents and bullet holes. Glancing up at her map one last time, the pulse was almost supersonic and Ruby knew that the transmission was behind this one last obstacle.

Her right hand went to her belt behind her and gripped the handle of her Hammond P2011 side arm.

"_The Hammond P2011 is a semi-automatic hand gun that allows even medium range foes to be little worry should you be caught dry with your primary weapon. The Hammond's match trigger integration allows for rapid pulls of the trigger if caught out in a close range, or religious pulls out to even 40 meters for accurate, devastating shots._

With her left hand on the door knob and her right clutching the handle and finger hovering over the trigger, Ruby counted down in her head to open the door.

_3…2…1!_ Ruby quickly turned the knob and pushed against the door, throwing it open. As the girl adjusted herself once she was in the room, Ruby saw the light pierce through the broken window, and used that to take note of her surroundings. The room was big enough to be considered walk in closet, but only just so. Ruby glanced around and saw that the room was all but empty save for a computer desk with a shattered PC. The girl shuffled around the room slightly to test what her feet would hit and within a few seconds she felt something scrape her boot. Ruby quickly turned to face the object and aimed her pistol, only to stare through the sights at a hunched figure. Behind it, though, was what caught her attention.

A flickering bluish glow was faintly escaping the body every few seconds. Ruby felt her heart rate shoot up, her mind instantly thinking that it was the transmitter. Her peripheral glanced up at her map and saw the pulse the dot let out had disappeared, replaced by a constant shine. Ruby gulped when she remembered what her training officer had told her.

"_When the objective in your mini map transitions from a pulse to a constant shine; that means there is a very good chance that you are all but on top of your destination."_

Ruby breathed in deeply in hopes to calm her rapid heart before she kneeled down in front of the hunched figure. Putting her side arm away, Ruby slowly moved her left hand behind the shape, her fingers stretching and turning to try to grip the transmitter.

When she got a solid hold on something, she yanked her arm out and glanced down at the object in her hand; it was a small, solid pad with a broken screen, with the screen a blue, flickering light like it was behind the figure. Now curious about what Ruby assumed was the missing Pilot, she flipped the pad to face the person and saw the head was down, the hair falling forward in a shower. At first glance, Ruby assumed it was a girl due to how long the hair was and how pale the person was from what skin she could see.

Ruby moved her free, right hand to the person and slowly cupped their face. She flinched almost instantly as the shards of cold skin pricked at her hand, and frowned. She knew this person was dead, and felt saddened at the loss of another person to the war.

She was still determined to find out who this person was though, to at very least inform a possible family, Ruby didn't deter herself any further. She put some pressure on her right arm and pushed the face up, the hair flipping as well. The silver eyed girl's face froze and her eyes started shaking when she saw the face...

"Mom...?"

_BOOM!_ The building shook under Ruby's feet and she tumbled around the room, her back smashing against an adjacent wall.

Her communicator that Karla had re-informed her about started buzzing, "It's a Spectre ambush! I repeat, it's a Spectre ambush!" Captain Anderson shouted to the entire squad through the com, followed by a hail of bullets. Ruby put her hand on her head in hopes to stop the overwhelming nausea, and as a result almost missed the yell of her superior officer. Ruby shook her head violently with her eyes shut, overcoming it. She glanced over at her limp mother and felt tears surge to her eyes, her breath hitching in her throat. When she heard another loud bang Ruby stood up and wiped her eyes, taking a long, deep breath, hoping to calm her shaking nerves.

With one last glance, Ruby pushed her arm under her mother's chin and took hold of something cold. With a yank Ruby ripped off the dog tags and held them up to her vision.

_Summer Rose._

Ruby, with the tears pressing against her eyes, pushed the dog tags down her chest plate with a hope to keep them safe and started sprinting out of the building. As she exited, the room where her mother was collapsed and crumbled, crushing all that was in there...

Once Ruby reached the makeshift entrance she had used earlier, she almost instantly had to shield her eyes from the dust that had spread everywhere. When she lowered her arm, her eyes widened; one of her teammates were dead and there were about 30 Spectre's that were pummeling her other two teammates' cover with bullets, and even more of the machines were jumping over the walls by the five's. Her arm went to her back to grab her R-101C but felt nothing.

Her eyes widened, _Shit, it must've detached when I hit the wall._ She panicked. With resolve however, Ruby went to her belt with both hands; her right had grabbed her Hammond P2011 and her left held something round with small indents.

_"Fragmentation Grenades have been in use since before I can remember. The mechanism is quite simple actually, just pull the pin and let it fly."_

Ruby did just that. Her left thumb moved within the little circle pin and she pulled it, yanking the pin out with a small 'ding'. She tossed it within the center of the machines and started sprinting towards her last two teammates. Once Ruby dove behind the makeshift covering, the frag detonated and another large explosion went off, scattering limbs and cords everywhere.

"Ruby!" Corporal Ashton called to her once he noticed the silver eyed girl. The girl glanced up in response and soon noticed an R-101C being tossed towards her. She grabbed it quickly and nodded thanks to her teammate before pushing her head and weapon above the cover. Once she aimed down her sights her finger squeezed the trigger and a hail of bullets were launched from her weapon, most finding her targets due to the massive amount of the mechanical monsters that were bunched together.

"Reloading!" Ruby called once she saw the orange "0" on her ammo counter. Ashton nodded and popped his head out only to get it blown off by one of the Spectre's. Blood splattered against Ruby and her last teammate, most of the brain chunks hitting her teammate. She screamed loudly in shock and horror and was soon enough silenced by another bullet. Her eyes widened at the entering and exiting her head and blood dripped out of her nose and mouth before collapsing.

Ruby stared with complete horror at her two dead teammates, the unreal amount of blood painting the ground before her and sliding down her armor. She could hear the mechanical feet stomp towards her and started letting her tears flow.

"R-Ruby?" Her com buzzed through, the voice who spoke tired and broken.

"Y-yes... Karla…?" Ruby answered almost mechanically.

"This is it isn't it?" Karla's voice was in complete disorder, with her hiccups and sobs giving way her terror.

Ruby gulped, "Yes… Yes it is…" She answered with extreme reluctance, a lump developing her throat.

"I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise…" Karla spoke one last time before the communication cut. With that last line Ruby couldn't take it anymore, she let her tears finally explode with fury, her voice overtaken by hiccups and cries. Suddenly a bullet pierced her back and she fell to the ground face first, her features covered with pure shock as her body went into lockdown. A mechanical foot smashed into her back where the bullet hole was and she screamed loudly, only to be silenced by the three pronged foot press harder.

Unable to fight back, Ruby just laid there and not too soon felt the barrel of a gun press against her temple. As she awaited her death, her mind was soaring across her eyes as she thought of everything from her past up until now, and finally, the smiling face of her mother.

_Mom…_ She thought finally before letting her eyes fall shut…

_SMASH!_

Ruby, not even allowed a second to register, suddenly felt the pressure lifted off of her back and was confused. She quickly looked to her right to see what was left of the Spectre fly across the city in a blaze of cords and its head. Ruby heard a loud mechanical groan and almost instantly after that a hail of bullets from another source. Ruby, with a sudden adrenaline rush, attempted slowly pushed herself up on her knees.

She was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"Stay down. Are you alright?" The voice was male, and sounded worried. Ruby lightly nodded, the pain giving her an inability to speak.

The voice sighed, "Alright. Listen to me, we're going to get out of here, ok?" Ruby just nodded mechanically again, still confused at what was happening behind her.

"Jaune, get the girl, move inside the building, and call for an evacuation. I'll cover you!" The next voice was a stern female's, and it slowly helped Ruby in keeping her awake.

"I'm on it." The male, now known as Jaune, answered with an even tone, however it was evident there was fear and worry in his voice. Ruby was suddenly lifted onto her feet, the blood rushing into her head followed soon after.

Her vision was blurry by this point, despite the previous adrenaline rush and attentive and loud voices of the female and Jaune.

"Hey, you still up?" Jaune asked with worry. Ruby's ears were suddenly filled with bullet fire, and she could only guess it was from Jaune's weapon. Even with that though, her eyes were dropping and her vision was extremely blurry.

"Hey, hey!" Jaune cried loudly when he noticed Ruby's head droop.

She lost consciousness.

**Kira: Funny, most of this story was written while I was at school. XD In one of my classes I'm unable to do anything as of yet so my teacher has allowed us to work on any other homework we have. Since it's a computer class, we're allowed to use them to use the internet and stuff. So, as a result, I've just been working on this story the entire time. :P Either way, hope you've enjoyed. :D**


	2. Chapter 2

"Is she going to be alright?"

"With a bullet to the back that close to her spine, I'm surprised she's more than just 'alright'."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Yes, miss, she is going to be alright. Probably another week here and she'll be free to go."

"May I go see her then?"

"Yes, you are allowed to. If she is asleep though, I would recommend letting her. Forcing her awake this long after surgery will only accelerate the pain."

"Alright, thank you."

Ruby sighed as she stared at the plain white wall in front of her, the only noise emanating from the room being the birds that were outside and the faint beeping of her heart monitor. Her thoughts were both scattered and nonexistent, yet both traced back to one simple source…

Her mother was dead…

Ruby couldn't believe it; she didn't want to believe it. Whether she liked it or not, her mother had disappeared from her, and she could never see her again…

The door slowly opened, catching the young girl's attention. Ruby turned her head to see a tuff of blonde hair, and her mind went into overdrive. The door opened wide, and the person was finally seen.

It was her sister, Yang, clad in the same armor Ruby had found her mother in.

The older girl, with a solemn look, walked over to the bed ridden girl and pulled a chair over, now sitting beside Ruby. They stared into each other's eyes, each unable to come up with a solid string of words.

The blonde sighed, "Ruby." Yang finally spoke after about five minutes of complete vocal silence.

"Yang…" Ruby trailed, her voice already starting to break. Her older sister could see her pain and moved a hand over the silver eyed girl's. Ruby yanked her hand away at the touch of her older sister, causing both parties to recoil in shock.

"Sorry…" Ruby mumbled apologetically, but there was still venom in her voice. Yang frowned greatly, hurt plain as day on her face, and glanced down at her hand before retracting it.

"No, I should be sorry…" The blonde replied softly.

Ruby shook her head, "Five years Yang… Five years... And look at what I've already seen…" Her eyes started shining with tears, and she gripped her sheets and snapped her eyes shut. Yang pulled her arm up before freezing for a few seconds, then brought her arm down again.

She shifted her head away from Ruby, "She's dead… Isn't she…?" Yang asked quietly. The younger sister opened her eyes and turned towards Yang with vivid shock.

"You… H-how do you know?" Ruby's voice was broken, and her arms were itching to latch onto Yang keep her from moving. Even though her blonde hair was preventing Ruby from seeing her sister's face, it was clear that she was crying. No answer was given for what seemed like an hour, the only noises now being Yang's choking sobs.

"I watched her leave…" The blonde finally spoke, her voice giving out soon after. Her right hand went up to her face to hide it, the tears leaking through still. Ruby was a statue; her brain racking in pain as she digested what her sister had finally spit out.

"You…" Ruby uttered; her voice as dead as her mother.

Yang nodded, "She gave me one last goodbye before she went onto that ship… One last smile… One last time hearing sweet voice..." Her voice was muffled since she was speaking through her hand, but Ruby heard it loud and clear, and it was a stab through the heart. When her hands finally found their movement, Ruby lashed her left arm out and grabbed Yang's upper right arm, holding it in an iron grip.

"Why didn't you stop her…? Why didn't you stop her!?" Ruby cried out, whipping her arm back and forth to swing Yang around. After a few seconds of torment, Yang snapped. She jerked her arm away, releasing it from her sister and swung her left arm forward, slapping Ruby with a definite noise. The girl's head jerked to the left at the force, and her eyes widened at the sudden violence her sister showed.

Yang, now standing, held her head down and stared at her shaking arms before she let her tears go again.

"You don't think I tried? You don't think I almost outright begged for her to stay, fell to my knees and cried while holding her?" Yang's fury was evident, and her younger sister was only just hearing the depression she was going through.

The blonde raised her head after a few seconds and pushed the stray hairs behind her ears, giving her younger sister a clear view of her molten red eyes, the tears moistening them to the point of them seeming like pure lava. Neither girl could speak, their eyes seemingly conversing with each other through the pained silence.

Finally, after a few minutes, Yang's eyes were slowly changing back to their normal lilac color, and she slumped back in her chair.

She pushed her head into her hands and started sobbing, "I'm sorry…" She choked.

Ruby gently put her hand on her sister's shoulder, "Why should you be? I brought back a memory you didn't want to remember, something you wanted dissolved from your mind." She spoke gently, squeezing Yang's shoulder slightly. The blonde looked up and moved one of her hands to the evident red mark on her younger sister's face and gingerly swept her fingers over it.

"That may be true, but I had no reason to hit you as a result…" Yang trailed sadly. Ruby shook her head, thus shaking the appendages away, and gave a small, sad smile.

"Look at us… The roles are kind of reversed now, aren't they?" The silver eyed girl asked, keeping her smile up. Yang froze in place for a second, processing what her sister had suddenly said, then smiled.

"You're right… We have switched… Who knew that my baby sister would grow up...?" Yang giggled in reply. Ruby's smiled cracked into a grin and she jabbed her sister in the arm, both laughing a moment later. Suddenly Ruby was enveloped in a hug, and already could feel tears landing on her head like rain drops.

"I was so worried…" Yang sniffed, "When I heard you had joined the Militia… Then sent out on mission like that… Why…?" She questioned through the sobs. Ruby, despite the fact she was pulled into her sister's cleavage, still managed to answer.

"I wanted answers…" Ruby started choking herself, the disdained memory thrusting itself back, "And now that I've found them, I wished they were never answered in the first place…"

Ruby looked up at her crying sister, "Why did you join the Militia?" When she had asked that, she had suddenly felt an increased pressure on her neck, and could tell Yang was upset.

"Same as you really… Father had never told me what I wanted to hear, even if I didn't like the end result. I was so frustrated with him, that I… I suddenly just snapped, and next thing I knew I started spouting all this hate and venom towards him, and ended with 'I'm going to find mom, whether you like it!'…I can't tell whether I regret my decision or not anymore…" Yang finished, releasing the pressure.

"Well, do you regret finding mom?"

Yang shook her head, "No, I was ecstatic to have finally found her. The feeling wasn't as mutual though…" She sighed at the end. The blonde raised her right hand and started patting and petting Ruby's hair. Ruby knew that whenever Yang would start petting her hair that she was unnerved, and it was pretty evident with what has been discussed as of yet.

"What happened?" Ruby asked quietly, now bringing her arms around Yang's waist for, hopefully extra comfort.

"She was livid when she had found out I had treated father like that, and was more than annoyed when she also heard I had left you…" At the latter statement Yang couldn't help but chuckle, remembering their mother's protective attitude towards Ruby.

"What did you do?"

"I begged for forgiveness… Something I wished I never had to do… I begged to stay with her, since we both knew I couldn't go back to dad after that… She accepted… And soon, I became a Pilot in training, under the mentoring of Summer Rose, our mother." Yang's tone towards the end held hints of pride.

Ruby was about to speak up though, when her sister had beat her to it.

"We never ended on good terms though…" Before Ruby could reply to Yang's depressing response, the door opened again.

"Miss Rose? I-" The doctor stopped suddenly, "Um… Am I interrupting something?" He asked politely, but also kind of nervously. The sisters, realizing how close they were still, separated quickly, light red blushes on their cheeks.

"No, it's fine. Is there something you need?" Ruby asked, scratching her head in embarrassment. Yang had shifted away from Ruby, her head turned away from the doctor to hide her red face.

Said man cleared his throat, "Actually, there's something I want to give you." He said, now sliding into the room. Ruby raised an eyebrow in question, silently motioning for the man to continue.

He walked towards Ruby, "We found this between your chest plate and undershirt, and understand who it belonged to, given the name." The doctor pulled his hand out from behind him and held out the dog tags Ruby had pulled from her mother.

"Here you go… And… I am truly sorry… She was a good woman…" The doctor said awkwardly before setting the dog tags in Ruby's palm, before leaving the room with a quick step. Yang turned around and saw her younger sister looking down solemnly at the pieces of metal and the broken chain. She moved her chair back over to Ruby and cupped her hand over the open palm, covering it from Ruby's view.

The silver eyed girl, in response, looked up at Yang who had a sad smile plastered on her face.

"I may be a bad older sister for saying this, but…" Yang trailed, squeezing her hand around the tag, "Do you wish to stay in the Militia and fight the IMC, if not for the war, but for our mother?" She asked softly. Ruby didn't answer straight away, instead staring right at Yang's lilac eyes, her brain processing what her older sister had just said.

After almost a minute of solid silence, Ruby finally squeezed her hand, "For our mother…" She replied in a soft tone similar to Yang's. The blonde's smile grew exponentially bigger, and almost yanked Ruby into another hug when the door opened.

Instead of peeking their head in first like the previous two visitors, this person shoved the door opened fully, showing their full body in the door way.

It was a woman, with a posture similar to that of a princess. Her Militia armor she was decorated in was similar to Yang's, however, the under armor that was showing was pure white. Her hair cascaded down her back, but also tied up in a side ponytail that was topped off with a crown as the bun.

Her ice eyes glanced around the room before she spotted Ruby, and Yang who was now facing the newcomer in a casual fashion. When the white haired girl took a few steps forward, the blonde stood up.

The white haired girl, in response, stopped in her tracks, "Xiao Long."

Yang nodded, "Schnee." She replied in a formal manner.

"I wish to speak with your sister alone." Schnee commanded while nodding her head towards the confused girl. Yang nodded reluctantly, but before she left, turned back towards her sister.

"I'll see you after you're released." Yang said with a small smile and wave before moving to leave the room, but, not before her eyes crossed with Schnee's as she walked past her. Once the door closed, Schnee turned towards the bed ridden girl.

"Um…" Ruby started awkwardly; somewhat scared at the stare she was getting from this white haired girl.

"You are Ms. Ruby "Crescent" Rose, kin to Summer and Nathaniel Rose, and step sister to Yang Xiao Long, are you not?" The white haired girl suddenly spoke with authority, causing Ruby to jump.

"U-uh… Y-yes, yes I am." The silver eyed girl replied shakingly, frightened that this girl had spouted truthful information from nowhere.

The person spoke again, "I am Weiss Schnee. I, along with Jaune Arc, was the person who had saved you from an early demise." Ruby was astonished by the woman's upright and monotone expression, and didn't answer back right away.

She shook her head a moment later, "W-wait, if you were with that man, Jaune, where were you exactly?"

"I was the one controlling the chassis Atlas Titan, the one who smashed the Spectre off of you." Weiss replied again, never breaking her tone. Ruby paused for a moment, recollecting her memories to recognize what this Weiss girl was talking about.

"Oh, right, I remember now." Ruby mumbled to herself. She paused for another moment before speaking, "So… How long was I out?" Ruby eventually questioned when she had nothing left to ask. Finally, Weiss's stature had cracked slightly and she relaxed her arms.

"You were out for about two months. Since then, everyone on your squad was considered K.I.A., whether the bodies were recovered or missing… I'm sorry…" Weis responded with her head down. The silver eyed girl's face went into complete shock at the news.

_Oh my god…_ Ruby thought as her tears started to rise again, _Karla… I'm sorry… I'm sorry I couldn't do anything… _She thought with despair, clutching her sighed slightly when she saw the young girl's tears reflect because of the sun.

"I… I also couldn't help but overhear you and your sister's conversation about fighting for the Militia." Weiss whispered loud enough for Ruby to hear. The girl snapped her head back to Weiss and waited for the girl to speak again.

"If you still want to fight, meet with James MacAllan upon your release." Weiss started replying with her normal tone again. Before Ruby could pipe up again, the white haired girl left the room in a hurry, leaving the silver eyed girl alone with her thoughts.

_I was sure I was going to die on that battlefield with a bullet in my head and a smile on my face. Now, I am sitting on a hospital bed with my mother's dog tags and the knowledge that I lost my closest friend… I have two options… I can either return home and live with the knowledge that I will most likely have no family to go to, or stay and fight a war that will no doubt be an endless skirmish where millions will die and there will be none satisfied…_

**Kira: Once again, I wrote this chapter while in school. XD From this point on though, I most likely won't be able to write during school since what was wrong in the first place was fixed. I'm also sorry this chapter was short, but I'd rather have the next chapter start with Ruby's release, so, this was kind of the best place to end it. :P Either way, hope you enjoyed the chapter and see you next update. :D**

**P.S.: Also, for those who have been wondering and haven't been wondering about A Faunus Rising, no that story is not on hiatus. I will most likely post chapter 3 of A Faunus Rising before chapter 3 of Skyfall. Other than that, once again, hope you enjoyed.**

**P.S.S.: Alright, now that I look over the first P.S., I'm taking back what I said. Most likely Skyfall chapter 3 will go up before A Faunus Rising chapter 3, but, I promise, that chapter 3 of A Faunus Rising _will_ be up before chapter 4 of Skyfall. Sorry for the confusion.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Kira: Ok, before we start the story, I would like to say this; five, almost six months ago, I had received a message from an author by the name of Hollow14, saying that she was glad to have read my review to her story; "Love at First Drool", which has become a personal favorite story of mine, and that she was a big fan of my stories. I was flattered, obviously, that someone had said something like that, because I had never received such praise from someone in the form of a message like that. Little did I know that when I responded to that message, that I would start a chain of events that would net me one of the closest friends I had ever had the pleasure of knowing in recent memory... No, in my entirety. It seems quite funny; we've never met in real life, and yet we've created a friendship as close as ever. And yet, even though the happy moments we have shared through most of these five months, have both Hollow14 and I also released some personal information to each other that I will not repeat, but I will reiterate like this; this bright, fantastic girl throughout her life has not gotten the love and regard that she so deserves. So on October 30, her birthday, and date of these stories that I post on this date, are dedicated to her, with all my typing to show that I am her friend, along with you wonderful readers who have read some of her fantastic writing and leave such positive and loving reviews that also explain how well done she has done with this chapter and others. I thank you all who have read this author's note, and hope you continue to read both Hollow14's and my stories, leave reviews, and stay tuned to when you see the next chapter of these loving stories that we post just for you. And Hollow14, when you hopefully read this, happy birthday.**

Ruby stepped out of the hospital with a blank look on her face. With the weeks she had been kept in captivity no one had visited her outside of Yang and Weiss first, for the one time nonetheless, which left the girl with a lot of time on her hands to truly think about what she promised Yang and what Weiss had told her, on top of what had happened already.

The girl pulled her right hand up and held it open slightly, letting the slightly rusted dog tags fall out and whip around for a moment before stopping. The light glared off of the piece, shining Ruby's eyes for a moment. When Ruby had covered her eyes to keep the bright light away her blackened vision was filled with her mother's slumped corpse, and, with that, her ears were occupied by the last thing Karla had spoken.

"_I'm sorry I didn't keep my promise."_ As the girl felt tears sting her eyes again her attention was suddenly swung at an unexpected visitor.

"So… Are you ready?" The female voice spoke gently. Ruby let her arm fall from her face and her shining eyes met with her sister who stood with her arms crossed, her face as gentle as her voice. Seeing the tears sparkle, Yang pulled a hand up and wiped the waterworks away completely, leaving her younger sister's face devoid of any fluids.

"Are you ok?" The blonde spoke again, moving her hand to Ruby's shoulder. The silver eyed girl bobbed a nod before shivering slightly, her body still affected by what she saw and heard.

Before Yang could speak up again, Ruby piped up, "Weiss told me to meet with James MacAllan." She said. Yang froze for a second before nodding, a small smile appearing on her face. Removing the hand from her cheek, Yang turned around and started walking, motioning for Ruby to follow. The girl did so, and jogged slightly to keep up with her older sister, and once she did, went with the same walking pace.

Not wanting any awkward silence to unfold, Ruby spoke again, "So, who is MacAllan anyway?" The silver eyed girl curiously asked.

"James MacAllan is mine and Weiss' superior officer, among other things, to put it simply. While I was personally trained by mom to become a pilot, Weiss had been trained under MacAllan, and, therefore, is a lot more uptight if you couldn't tell." Yang chuckled. Ruby sighed a laugh, remembering how the white haired girl had acted when they had met.

"Anything else that I should be informed of?" Ruby continued.

Yang shook her head, "Not really, as far as I know." At the end of her sentence they had arrived at Yang's vehicle parked at the end of the hospital open parking lot. Ruby stared blankly, remembering her older sister's choice of vehicles.

It was her black and yellow slick motorcycle, which she dubbed Bumblebee because of the color scheme. Yang grinned when she saw the paint shine because of the sunlight, and walked with a quick step towards her baby. She grabbed a helmet and the goggles attached to said helmet and popped them onto her head. She turned back towards Ruby who stared at her with a still blank face.

"You still have this thing after so long?" Ruby said with slight surprise, waving her hands towards what their father called a 'deathtrap'.

Yang growled under her breath, "Of course I do. Did you honestly think I wouldn't take care of my baby?"

Ruby dropped her arms at her sister's comeback, "After the first three years you had it…? Yes..." She replied monotone.

Yang rolled her eyes, "That was only because my GF didn't like motorcycles." She whispered with a pout. Ruby, like her sister, rolled her eyes and hopped onto the back of the vehicle, grabbing the spare, red helmet with goggles that was on it.

"I'm still surprised you're a lesbian Yang." Ruby said once she was comfortable on the motorcycle.

Yang giggled, scratching her cheek, "What? I personally find girls a lot more… 'Filling' to look at."

"Does that explain why I always kept hearing you shout _'Yes!'_ at twelve in the morning back when you lived at dad's place?" Ruby asked with a sly tone, mimicking 'yes' in a sexual tone. Yang's face went bright red as a result, and she snapped her head to face Ruby with a horrified look on her face.

"Y-you heard that?" The blonde sputtered loudly. Ruby acquired a big grin when seeing her sister's flustered look.

"Of course I did. Jesus you two were loud." Ruby teased even further. Before Yang could retaliate, she piped up again;

"Now, was it her fingers or her tongue that got you all antsy like that?" The silver eyed girl inquired with a cheshire like grin. Ruby didn't think it was possible for Yang's face to be redder than that point, but, as her sister usually did; seemed to surprise the young girl.

"I-I don't want to talk about it." Yang stumbled as she similarly fumbled with the ignition of Bumblebee.

Before Ruby could pressure her sister further, Yang twisted the topic against the girl; "Don't you dare continue. Plus, you aren't so innocent as well little sis." The busty blonde countered.

Her younger sister got a confused look on her face, "What do you mean?" Ruby asked with a raised eyebrow. Yang couldn't help but chuckle at Ruby's predictable reaction, before answering.

"Let's just say your computer search history wasn't that well hidden. Nice pics of those girls by the way." Yang burst out laughing before revving the engine. Ruby's face went her namesake before she screamed her sister's name. It was drowned by the roaring engine though, as Yang had planned, and the blonde had drove off, heading towards the Militia base.

By the time they reached their destination, a three story apartment building, and Ruby's face was a red as a tomato and Yang had a massive grin on her face.

Ruby sighed as she took the helmet off, her arms now free, "I still can't believe you got me into girls." She grumbled in embarrassment as she got off the motorcycle, Yang soon following.

The blonde patted her sister's back, "Sister's intuition, my dear." She bolstered.

Ruby looked back at her sister, the red on her face now dissipated, "You know you butchered that entire phrase, right Yang?" She asked with a deadpan tone. The older paused for a second before hitting her sister again.

"Whatever, let's head inside." Yang said with a slight stutter. As she started walking Ruby looked up at the building before her and was left confused.

"Didn't you say we were heading to the Militia base?" She inquired. Yang stopped and turned back to face Ruby with an eyebrow raised.

"We are. It's right inside." The blonde stated, jerking her finger back at the entrance.

"Why is it in an apartment complex though?" Ruby asked, now slowly walking back towards her sister.

The latter chuckled slightly, "It's run by an old friend of the Militia. With the IMC all but controlling what's left of Earth by this point, the Militia that were stuck here when the worldwide martial law took place needed a place to hide. The owner of this area took the Militia crew in and it grew into an underground base of sorts as time went by." Yang explained. Ruby nodded, and then realized something.

"Hold on a moment." She said, stopping Yang once again, "If worldwide martial law was in effect… Then how did my squad get onto Earth without the IMC realizing?" Ruby trailed off, confused once again.

"No, I'm sure they were notified. That was probably why your squad was hit by that Spectre ambush." At the mention of said ambush, Ruby's face went distraught at the memory of her mother and Karla.

_I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise…_

The silver eyed girl whipped her head around, as if she was trying to shake the memory out of her head. Yang saw her younger sister's sudden shift and got worried.

"Are you sure you're ok?" She asked, moving up to Ruby and putting a hand on her shoulder. The girl shook her head and waved her hand.

"I'm fine, just a small headache is all." She answered. Yang looked at her sister with a disbelieving look before sighing, giving up on the situation for now. Instead, she finally walked into the building with her sister following a second behind. Upon entering the building, Yang was met with the sight of a black haired female behind what seemed to be the front counter. Said woman heard the door slide open and turned to see the busty blonde walk in.

She smiled a moment later, "Hello Ms. Xiao Long. Shall I get Blake for you?" She asked politely, her hand hovering over a nearby phone.

Yang shook her head, "No thank you Michelle. I do need a card key to room 5314 though, if you would allow." She stated calmly with a smooth tone. Michelle paused for a second before nodding, bending down below the desk to grab something. Once she found what she was looking for, she popped back above the desk and handed Yang a dark gray card key with an orange line running horizontally along the card. Yang accepted the card with a thank you nod and walked away, going down the left hallway. Ruby was left confused by the quick conversation and almost lost Yang. She quickly jogged after Yang after waving a thank you to Michelle.

Once she caught up, "Where are we going?" She asked curiously, her gaze stuck on the small object Yang was twirling between her fingers. When the blonde didn't answer instantly, Ruby was about to ask again, thinking she didn't hear her, when the blonde suddenly stopped, almost causing Ruby to trip up.

She looked back and saw Yang in front of a plain oak door with a key card slider and number pad. The blonde still didn't speak, but the ever growing grin on her face gave away that she was excited about something. Ruby's question was about to be answered after seeing her older sister fiddle with the key card slot and small number pad. The door slid open and Ruby was staring into an... Elevator?

She looked back up at Yang with a confused face, "What's with the hidden elevator?"

The blonde finally spoke up after turning to face Ruby slightly, "Just step inside. You'll find out in a moment." She spoke ecstatically, pointing her finger towards the open elevator. Ruby was slightly freaked by her sister's happy reaction, and jumped into the elevator as a result. Once Yang entered she tapped a button on the pad inside and both doors closed behind them. The elevator made a small creek, signifying that it was going down.

After about a minute of listening to elevator music, Ruby spoke up, "So, are we heading down to the Militia base I'm assuming?" She inquired, tracing her eyes across the small room in pure boredom. Yang nodded in response and silence resumed between the two, the now annoying elevator music getting to Ruby's head. Luckily for her though, it didn't last long as the elevator dinged, indicating that they had reached their destination.

Once the doors opened, Ruby's face turned to shock at what she was seeing. It was an entire underground training facility to engineers, scientists, and soldiers alike. The building, most likely buildings, stretched to as far as Ruby's eyes could see, maybe even longer. They stepped out and Ruby now looked around her in pure awe, the room they had entered looked to be the central hub of the area, where everyone was just sitting and chatting in their own little sections.

The first person to see the two sisters was behind a desk similar to the one Michelle was behind up top, but this time, it was run by a male. He walked up to the two with a smile on his face.

"Hello girls." He greeted with a smile. Yang and Ruby turned towards the man; a small grin on the blonde's face and realization on the black haired girl's face.

"Y-you're Bish." Ruby proclaimed, her voice failing her slightly. He turned to face the surprised girl with an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, yes I am. Why do you ask?" He questioned. Yang was also slightly confused by her younger sister's sudden outburst like that.

"You were the one who informed my squad about the mission at Angel City." Ruby replied, her voice still showing shock. Bish paused for a second, trying to remember what she was talking about before replying.

"Oh right, about that Search and Recovery mission…" He paused, before sighing, "I am sorry about the end result of that mission, especially about the Pilot…" He trailed off, knowing that he shouldn't continue. Yang turned her head away and Ruby her head down, before the latter shook her head and faced Bish again.

"There's no need to be. It doesn't matter anyway, as what's done is done. However…" She trailed, moving one of her hands to a pocket. She grasped what she was looking for and pulled it out for Bish to see.

The man looked down, and, through the gleam of the lights, saw the name _Summer Rose_ on the metal.

Ruby gripped the dog tags and pulled them back to her chest, "I am here to finish what my mother started; fight with the Militia for those who have been stomped on and executed by the IMC." She stated, remembering what her mother had told the sisters' father some time back. Yang looked back at Ruby with a surprised look on her face.

"You were eavesdropping on them as well little sis?" The blonde asked as a grin formed on her face.

The black haired girl faced her sister with a smile, "Yes, I did. I also plan to uphold what she promised dad, and instead I promise everyone I can." She stated proudly with a nod. Yang patted her sister's shoulder with her own affirmative nod, and both faced Bish with determination.

"If that's the case, I'm assuming you wish to see MacAllan, correct?" He asked with a grin of his own at the girl's resolve. Ruby nodded again, her face never changing its smiling but serious look.

"I'll leave you to it then Yang. You know where to go." The man gave it to the blonde. She gave a thumbs up and started walking away with Ruby when Bish called back to the two.

"Hey, Ruby!" He yelled back. Both sisters turned around and saw Bish give a salute.

"Welcome to the team." He finished before turning around to go back to his desk. The sisters smiled at each other before moving to the Pilot training facility. Along the way Ruby had learned about the underground base from both exploring with her sister and being told about the individual areas she would need to keep in mind. After about five minutes of walking, Yang stopped upon a bleach white door and stared at it with a scrunched up look.

Ruby, after almost having run into Yang as a result of the sudden stop, glanced back and forth between said door and the blonde.

"What's wrong? Why'd we stop here?" She questioned, curious about her sister's sudden halt.

"I just want to see if someone is here real quick." Yang answered quietly, all her attention focused on the white door. After a second of contemplating, Yang gently rapped the entrance with her knuckles before entering. Ruby quietly shuffled behind her sister, and was surprised to see what was inside. It was a room the size of an ordinary apartment room, but the place was covered with shelves and drawers which no doubt held papers among other things. There was a decent sized desk in the back corner of the room, where a few papers were scattered along it next to a neat looking monitor, with the full hardware below the desk somewhere.

Yang clicked her tongue and sighed, "Must be with Richard." She mumbled with slight sadness. Ruby scrunched her eyebrows and made a quick note to ask her sister once she had the chance.

That chance came up a few minutes later after they had left, where Yang once again stopped, but this time, it was by a window.

Both Yang and Ruby looked through the window into what the latter thought was a research facility, where about four scientists and engineers were working cooperatively on something, Ruby couldn't tell.

She remembered that mental note, and spoke up, "Hey Yang, who were you looking for back there?" She asked, glancing back and forth from her sister to the project below.

Yang pointed down to a black haired girl who was sitting behind a desk, "Her." Was all she said. Ruby attempted to follow her sister's finger and saw a black haired, amber eyed female with a bow in her hair, wearing a white lab coat sitting at a desk, typing rapidly.

"Who is she?" Ruby inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Yang gave a small smile, "She is my former partner, Blake Belladonna. She quit fighting on the frontier about a year back and started working with her father on different inventions." As she said that, a black haired man with a rugged goatee appeared behind the supposed Blake and glanced at the computer, before patting her shoulder, murmured something in her ear, and moved over to an orange haired man who was sifting through some filing cabinets.

"Was that black haired man Blake's father?" The silver eyed girl examined.

Yang nodded again, "Yes, and his name is Richard, Richard Belladonna. The orange haired man he's talking to now is Roman Torchwick, a close friend to Richard." Ruby noticed slight venom when Yang mentioned Torchwick, and made a note to ask her later. As she was thinking, Ruby almost didn't notice Yang start walking away, and quickly jogged to meet up with her again. Their walk was left silent for most of the trip, Ruby just taking in what the hidden base would allow, and soon they came upon a large command center with different pods along the perimeter of it, and in the center, leaning over a table; was James MacAllan.

"MacAllan, sir." Yang greeted when she entered the room, straightening her legs and giving a salute. The trimmed man straightened himself from the table and turned around, an amused look on his face.

"At ease Yang, no need for the formalities now." He waved his hand after giving his own salute. Yang relaxed herself and nodded, bringing her hand down. As he started walking over to the blonde, he noticed the new addition by Yang's side, and smiled slightly.

"Is this your sister Yang?" He greeted, holding his arm out to the silver eyed girl. The latter looked slightly intimidated by the tall, scarred man.

The blonde noticed her sister's anxiety and answered, "Yes, she is. Her name is Ruby, Ruby Rose." Yang replied.

James nodded, "Ah, yes. I remember hearing about you." Both sisters' eyebrows rose at the man's confession.

"How?" Ruby asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Your trainer gave me a report about the new recruits after the firearms training, and made special notations about your marksmanship skills, similar to Weiss Schnee's." He remarked, nodding.

Yang's eyes widened, "Really?" She turned her head towards Ruby, "When did you develop these skills?" Her eyebrows furrowed and her arms crossed.

Ruby scratched her cheek, "Well, after you left, dad wanted me to learn how to wield his hunting rifle, because he was getting old, and had me practice every day for about two months straight." She confessed with a slight giggle. Yang popped a wild grin before laughing, patting her sister's shoulder.

"He _was_ getting old, even if he didn't want to admit it." The blonde chuckled. Ruby couldn't help but giggle herself at the memory.

Before their laughter got too hectic, MacAllan interrupted again, clearing his throat "Well, ladies, while I am fond of a family reunion, I am rather interested to see how your marksmanship skills hold up. Would you care to demonstrate Rose?" He asked, moving his hand behind himself.

Ruby blinked, "Um… Well, sure I guess." She sounded hesitant. James nodded and pulled out his unloaded B3 Wingman and loaded a bullet into the chamber, before closing the compartment and holding the revolver towards Ruby, handle towards the girl. Before Ruby could make a grab for the revolver, Yang snatched her wrist, a slight glare going towards MacAllan.

"Last I checked; _you_ were the one who enforced the rule of: no guns to be fired without consent of an authority and while on the training ground." Yang proclaimed, speaking directly from the written rules that the base had followed, and MacAllan had enforced. Said man grinned and unloaded the revolver before hiding it behind his back again.

"Good job Yang. I was testing you to see if you remembered." He grinned before moving to the door, "Follow me."

Ruby and Yang glanced back and forth at each other in surprise before following, with the latter female slightly ticked that MacAllan thought she'd forget... Ok, maybe she forgot _one_ or _two _times... Ok, maybe five...

The sisters followed MacAllan to the firing range where they saw a gorgeous black haired female in a striking red and orange uniform firing down the range. As she was reloading her weapon she heard three sets of footsteps behind her. Setting the gun down, the woman stood straight and turned her head towards the three newcomers her orange eyes staring directly at Ruby.

Her voice, however, was directed at MacAllan, "MacAllan." She spoke calmly, nodding, "Yang..." She grinned as she turned her focus towards the blonde. James gave a slight nod back and Yang opted for a stiff nod, the blonde narrowing her eyes slightly.

Finally, she directed her voice at Ruby, "And who are you?" She asked serenely. Ruby felt her breath get caught in her throat and she couldn't respond.

Luckily for her, the leading male spoke up for her, "Hello Cinder. This is Ruby, the new recruit."

Cinder's brow rose, "Ah, yes. Ruby Rose. I read your file. Word is according to your training officer that you have abnormal marksmanship skills of someone of your age." She turned her attention back to MacAllan, "I would be correct in assuming that you want to see her skills first hand, correct?" She asked, crossing her arms.

MacAllan nodded, "You would be correct. And stop going through my files." He sighed with a small grin on his face.

Cinder gave off her own laugh, one that rang through Ruby's ears, "No can do James, not while you still allow me to access almost full use of your office." The two shared a chuckle while Yang rolled her eyes and snarled slightly at Cinder. Ruby was unsure of how to respond to the different views on this new Cinder woman; whether it's Yang's negative reaction or MacAllan's somewhat joking reaction.

"Rose." The man suddenly said, scaring Ruby out of her thoughts. The latter jumped slightly and swiped her head everywhere before her eyes landed on MacAllan who was standing by the station Cinder was previously using, Cinder herself standing close by.

"Like Cinder said, I'm curious to see your how good of a shot you can actually make." The man explained. The shorter black haired girl nodded slightly before shuffling over to the station.

When she didn't notice Yang follow her, Ruby turned to the blonde who was starting to walk back, "Where are you going Yang?"

The older sister turned to face Ruby, "I need to head back to my quarters." She turned to MacAllan, "Could you show her to my quarters she's done?" The man nodded and Yang left soon after. None noticed, but Cinder held a smug look with a sharp grin after Yang left the shooting range.

MacAllan turned towards Ruby, "Alright Ruby, Cinder has allowed you to use her station, so you already have what you need in front of you." The girl in question snapped a glance towards Cinder who smiled back, before Ruby quickly shifted back towards the rifle in front of her.

"This rifle is the G2A4 semi-automatic assault rifle. It is considered to be the ancestor by the troops to the commonly found R-101C today. In spite of recent advances in weapons technology, the older G2A4 semi-automatic rifle remains a favorite of Special Forces units due to its high damage and extremely precise fire – a testament to its high level of craftsmanship." MacAllan summarized to Ruby. The weapon had already grabbed the interest of the girl due to the quick remark to: 'extremely precise fire'.

Cinder saw the happy look in the girl's eyes, and couldn't help but grin, "That doesn't mean you should overuse the trigger Rose."

Ruby looked up at Cinder, "What do you mean?"

The older woman couldn't help but laugh, "Just because the weapon has 'extremely precise fire' doesn't mean its recoil is nonexistent." Ruby was further confused by Cinder's explanation and narrowed her eyes in response.

MacAllan nodded, "That is correct. People who have used this rifle first hand have said that the recoil was very unpredictable and surprisingly heavy given the inclusion of a heavy barrel." The younger girl nodded slightly, her brain starting to process the new information.

"Do you think I would be able to use it then?"

Cinder chuckled, "Only if you properly stance yourself." She informed. Ruby nodded and breathed deeply, but before she could reach for the rifle, she was stopped by MacAllan again.

"Remember, the magazine is unloaded." The man noted, tilting his head over to the abandoned, empty magazine by a few discarded shells. The young girl nodded and went to reloading the magazine, taking note of how many bullets she was inserting. At 14, the small magazine couldn't hold anymore bullets and she inserted the cartridge into the rifle and injected a bullet into the barrel. After getting used to the weight of the weapon Ruby attempted to stance herself the way her father had taught her when her lower arms were grabbed by Cinder, who was now standing behind her.

"Lift your arms." Cinder whispered, causing Ruby to shiver. The young girl did so and could feel the older woman nod.

"Now, shuffle your right leg forward and straighten both legs." The orange eyed woman spoke once again, each vowel that she spoke giving Ruby another shiver. Yet still, the latter complied and once she did so, Cinder backed away and spoke up one more time.

"Now, take aim at the target and fire." The woman replied before backing away. Ruby nodded slightly and aimed down the iron railing sights at the new target that was designated 100 yards out.

With one trigger pull Ruby felt the stock slam into her shoulder and she almost lost her balance, and she most likely would've had she used the stance her father had taught her. Instead, she managed to stay up and saw a hold in the dead center of the target's head appear and rip right through the paper and metal behind it, flying into the wall and bounce off with a satisfying smack.

MacAllan looked impressed, "Very nice. It's been a while since I've ever seen anyone hit that weak spot in the metal."

Cinder couldn't help but chuckle, "That's a lie and you know it. Just last week you witnessed me tear through that three times over."

James gave a small chuckle himself, "I meant someone _new_ Cinder. Either way, let's see the rest of Ruby's shots and we'll move on from there. Is that okay with you Ruby?" He asked. The young girl nodded and for the next 30 seconds, Ruby unloaded the rest of the magazine into the target, the two spectators watching silently. After Ruby hit the trigger the 15th time, and hearing no gunshot, the girl discharged the magazine, pulled the charge back to release any spare bullet shells, and set both on the table, and everyone observed her work.

Damage done: 5 shots to the head, three going through the metal, 2 shots to the neck, and the other 7 in the upper chest, with three of them dead center in the heart.

MacAllan clicked his tongue, "Impressive. Your acclamations weren't false after all."

Cinder gave a sneaky smile, "I agree. Your shots were pinpoint to the very end, a true test of marksmanship."

James nodded again, "I think even Moose would be impressed."

The older woman laughed, "Maybe. We'll have to show him when he gets back." Ruby looked back between the two conversing officers and was left in the dark at what they were talking about.

MacAllan looked at his watch and was slightly surprised, "It's almost 1:00." He turned towards Ruby, "I think we'll save the rest of your training for tomorrow, as you'll need to be rested."

The silver eyed girl popped a grin, "I think I've rested enough throughout the past month."

Cinder wisped a hair behind her ear, "Even when you get enough sleep, it always seems like you're tired. I would take MacAllan up on his offer; you'll be thanking him tomorrow." She gave another sneaky grin. Ruby, while confused at what Cinder meant, nodded none the less and followed MacAllan to what she assumed was Yang's quarters, the orange eyed woman waving to the young girl as she left.

In a few minutes MacAllan and Ruby reached the elevator, to Ruby's surprise.

Before she could ask, however, the man spoke up, "Due to the space that this apartment allows us, our trainees, visiting soldiers, and other employees whether it be scientists, engineers, or other are allowed to sleep in the rooms on the surface… While still paying the rent obviously." MacAllan explained, shrugging. Ruby nodded slightly, her brain still trying to comprehend everything she was informed of today. Their trip remained silent for the rest of the way through, and once MacAllan had gotten to Yang's apartment door, he waved Ruby goodbye and presumably went back to the underground base.

Ruby was slightly nervous, standing in front of her older sister's door, and hesitated knocking, before she sucked in a breath and rap her knuckles on the wood. She didn't know why she was feeling edgy, she would have to ask Yang. Speaking of which, Ruby had barely heard the blonde shout come in, and jumped slightly when she did notice. The black haired girl opened the door and peaked her head it to Yang watching the news.

The blonde turned towards her sister and nodded her head, "Come see this." She stated. Confused, Ruby shuffled her way into the small room, and, while surprised by how clean it was compared to her room back at their father's, complied and took a seat next to Yang, staring at the screen.

Once Yang unmuted the T.V., "And with the destruction following Angel City in an ambush of IMC Spectres, following the infiltration of Militia forces, we still have no signs of any survivors a month later, and surprisingly no leads as to the sudden reappearance of the body of Summer Rose, a famous Militia Pilot who had went missing three months prior to the failed infiltration." Yang muted the T.V. again and held her head in her free hand, giving a small sigh.

"It's still so surprising to hear that she's dead, even if it's been confirmed true for a month now…" Yang trailed, her hand mumbling her voice. Ruby gave a small, sad smile adorning her face. The girl reached into her pocket and pulled out the dog tags, pushing them into view of the blonde's face.

"She may be dead Yang, but she's far from left our side." The silver eyed girl whispered. Yang felt a small tear drop from her eye down onto the carpet, and let her hand fall back down.

"This may sound weird, but do you think she's giving us a hug right now?" The blonde questioned, her voice slightly broken.

Ruby shuffled over and wrapped her arms around Yang, "I'm sure of it Yang… I'm sure she's keeping us warm around her cloak right now…" Yang hiccupped and wrapped her arms around Ruby, resting her head on her shoulder.

"I don't think mom plans on leaving us Yang… Not while we're still fighting…"

**Kira:… Yeah… Sorry that the chapter got that wordy and big… I didn't expect it to. I also apologize if the story was kind of random as well, and I'll try to make the fourth chapter more focused. No promises though, but I'll try. And you have to cut me a little slack, I've been working on four different stories at the same time for the past two weeks. XD Either way, hope you enjoyed. :D**


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